The Arizona State Sun Devils have had a Jekyll and Hyde type of season in 2018-2019. At times, Bobby Hurley’s bunch has looked like a top 20 team, and other times this team has failed to show up. At 20-9, the Sun Devils are squarely on the bubble, and can solidify their resume within the next week.
Let’s dive into ASU’s resume thus far:
NET Ranking: 71
Signature Wins: Utah State (Neutral)Mississippi State (Neutral), vs. Kansas, vs. Washington
Bad losses: vs. Princeton, vs. Washington State
Arizona State’s NET Ranking could be a cause for concern for the committee come selection Sunday, but with a win on Saturday over Arizona in Tuscon (4:00 PM ET CBS) coupled with a strong showing in next week’s PAC-12 tournament, the Sun Devils should firmly be in the field. The Sun Devils have clinched the second seed in the PAC-12 Tournament, and along with Washington, will be the front runners to hoist the championship trophy in Sin City.
From a personnel perspective, this team has the talent to not only make the tournament, but could be primed to pull an upset or two. ASU’s seed will most likely be in the double-digits, good luck to whoever their first-round match up is. Luguentz Dort has been playing his best basketball of late, and with guys like Remy Martin and Rob Edwards, this team can heat up on any given night.
The knock on Hurley’s team this season has been that they tend to play to the level of their competition, but every game in March is a big one. Expect the Sun Devils to finish out the PAC-12 season strong, and earn a second straight trip to the Big Dance under Bobby Hurley.